Authorities find 62-year-old boater's body in Black Warrior River

BROOKWOOD, Alabama -- Authorities recovered the body of a 62-year-old Tuscaloosa man in the Black Warrior River on Thursday morning.

The body of Charles Lee Haywood was pulled from the river after being located by Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office and Army Corps of Engineers boats around 10 a.m., said Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide unit Capt. Loyd Baker.

The search for Haywood began Wednesday night.Deputies were called to the boat landing on Lock 15 Road in Brookwood around 7 p.m. Wednesday after an abandoned fishing boat was found in a cove on the river across from Riverview Drive, Baker said.

Witnesses told authorities the boat had been in the cove since 2 p.m. that day. A small dog was found alive in the boat and personal belongings of the boater were also in the boat, Baker said.

A vehicle belonging to Haywood was located at the Rock Quarry boat landing at around 10 p.m. Wednesday, Baker said.

Baker said there is no evidence of foul play. The body has been turned over to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for an autopsy.